Thankful!

First and foremost, Happy Thanksgiving! What a gorgeous day here at the coast. I am in Wilmington, NC visiting family this Thanksgiving and it is so wonderful to be home with the ones that I love.

Upon arriving last night, my mom decided to start a new tradition each Thanksgiving. From this year forward we decided that each "Thanksgiving Eve" we would cook a "baja" mexican feast. Anyone that knows me, knows that I could eat either mexican or chinese for breakfast, lunch and dinner day in and day out. SO, this year we decided to start off right with Fresh Beer Battered Fish Tacos and my favvvooorite chips and salsa from Tower 7.

Happiness Is....

Work in process...

Dinner is served!

It turned out wonderfully. We ate it all faster than you can say "arriba!" Ice cold Corona's never disappoint either. All in all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving Eve!

My sweet little kitchen helper. Isn't she the cutest?! :o)

Today, I planned on making an entire post on the top 25 things I am most thankful for. So I guess prepare for a novel of a blog post. Oops.

1. My family. Obviously, without them I wouldn't be walking this earth. They are also some of the sweetest, most down to earth people I know. I know I may be pretty biased, but they really are a special group of people. Holidays can sometimes get a little crazy and someone may or may not end up busting their ass on the kitchen floor due to a tad too much Chardonnay but always a fun group to be around. Love you all so much.

2. My amazing friends. You guys absolutely rock. You are the most fun group of girls to be around, yet can be the best serious advice givers ever. I am seriously blessed. Love you.

3. My never-ceases-to-amaze-me fiance Austin. Okay, no this will not be a sappy entry. But man, I love that guy. He is my very best friend and always knows how to make me feel like I am on top of the world. Obviously, no relationship is perfect, by any means. What fun would that be? We argue as much as the next couple, but at the end of the day still love each other more than just the words "I love you" could ever depict. You are my rock Austin and I am so thankful I get to become your wife.

4. Our fur child, Bailey. She is our two and a half year old golden retriever and will always be a puppy in my eyes. She is the sweetest dog on this earth and is a serious mind reader and always knows how to turn a bad day around.

5. My Health. It is often something healthy people take for granted. A few family friends of ours lost their battle to cancer in 2011, and I thank God everyday for my health.

6. My iPhone. Yes, I am seriously addicted.

7. My iPad. It is a very close second to the beloved iPhone

8. Peonies. They are my all time favorite flower. I love them in any color.

9. Manicures. I am seriously addicted.

10.My Keurig. I still think K Cup stands for Krack-Cup. Can't get enough.

11.A good book. Nothing beats cozy-ing up with a book you cannot put down.

12. My Restoration Hardware Cashmere Throw. Austin made me feel like I was the craziest person ever to spend that on " a silly blanket". He is now humming to a different tune on cold nights when I can't get him to share it with me.

13. The beach. Growing up next to it, I feel like I took it for granted. Now, living away from it and coming home, I cannot be more thankful to call the coast home.

14. Cabernet. This girl loves a good bottle of wine.

15. Nights with my girlfriends. Sometimes, or all the time, good laughs with good friends are perfect for the soul.

16. Good music. I love pretty much any type of music, and love how music can bring you right back to a certain snippet in time, just like it was yesterday, if it were even 10 years ago.

17. My baby blanket. Yes, I still have my "bubby" and that sucker you better believe is being packed and taken on the honeymoon.

18. Candles. My girlfriends know how crazy obsessed I am with them. And most times rather than not have a "stock pile" of at least a half dozen or so just waiting to be burned. I know, I have a problem.

19. Our little tiny 900 sq foot apartment. It may not be much, but having a warm place to come every night is something people often take for granted. I am thankful to have a safe place to call home.

20. New recipes. I love any excuse to get in the kitchen, put on my apron, pour a glass of wine and unwind. Cooking really is a free (well not free but close to it) form of therapy.

21. Guacamole. Yes, I could eat it everyday of my life.

22. Monograms. While I am currently on a monogramming hiatus until I say "I Do" (yes, it really is painful) I still look at new ideas day in and day out.

23. New tennis shoes. For whatever reason, I feel like I work out more frequently and much harder when I have new tennis shoes. Some weird mentality, but hey, whatever works right?

24. Paper products. I have a weird obsession with stationary and anything related. Crane & Co, Kate Spade and American Stationary have become my best friends. I am always writing notes of some kind.

25. This blog. I have really grown to love it. I love being able to keep track of my crazy everyday life and I think I will love even more being able to look back at it all a year from now and see how I have grown from this very moment.